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Digimon: The Movie
| producer = | screenplay = | based on = |Toei Animation}} | starring = | narrator = | music = | cinematography = Shigeru Ando | editing = | studio = | distributor = 20th Century Fox | released = | runtime = 88 minutes | country = | language = English | budget = $5 million | gross = $16,643,191 }} 'Digimon: The Movie' is a 2000 American-Japanese film adaptation produced by Toei Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox as part of the ''Digimon franchise. The film used footage from the short films Digimon Adventure (1999), Digimon Adventure: Children's War Game! | date=2018-03-22 | accessdate=2018-10-08 }} (2000), and Digimon Adventure 02: Digimon Hurricane Landing!! / Transcendent Evolution!! The Golden Digimentals (2000). Digimon: The Movie had cut more than 40 minutes of scenes from the individual Japanese films to save time and introduced several changes in tone, dialogue, and plot. Owing to the number of changes made, it is considered an original work by the press. Upon release, the film received generally negative reviews from critics. Despite this, the film was a box office success, grossing over $16 million worldwide against a production budget of $5 million. Plot ''Angela Anaconda'' short Angela Anaconda and her friends line up to watch Digimon: The Movie, but Nannette and her friends cut in line and invite Mrs. Brinks to block her view. Angela imagines herself Digivolving is the process by which a Digimon evolves into a higher-leveled, more powerful form. }} into Angelamon to defeat Mrs. Brinks and Nannette. However, the audience realizes they are in the wrong theater and leave. Eight Years Ago A Digi-Egg appears from Tai and Kari's computer, which hatches and Digivolves into Agumon. Tai chases Agumon and Kari out into the night, where a second Digi-Egg appears in the sky to reveal a Parrotmon. As the neighborhood watches, Agumon Digivolves to Greymon to fight but is knocked out. When Tai reawakens Greymon with Kari's whistle, he defeats Parrotmon and disappears with him. Four Years Later An infected Digi-egg appears on the Internet and hatches into a Digimon that devours computer code. Izzy and Tai are warned by Gennai, and Greymon and Kabuterimon enter the internet but are overwhelmed when it quickly digivolves into Infermon. A boy from Colorado named Willis contacts Izzy and encourages him to find a way to slow Infermon down. Tai tries to recruit backup, but with most of the others busy and Sora upset at Tai over a miscommunication over a hairpin, he only succeeds in enlisting Matt, T.K., and their Digimon. On the second encounter, WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon go up against Infermon's final form, Diaboromon. Diaboromon overpowers the Digidestined when emails flood in from people around the world watching the battle on their computers, causing WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon to slow down. Diaboromon duplicates himself and infects computers at the Pentagon, launching two nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles: one headed for Colorado, the other for the DigiDestined's neighborhood. WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon fight the multitude of Diaboromon but are defeated when the emails increase in speed. Tai and Matt manage to become digital and enter their computers. Through the collective power of the children watching, WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon are revived and DNA Digivolve into Omnimon. Omnimon obliterates the Diaboromon copies, and Izzy redirects the e-mails to the original Diaboromon to freeze him in place long enough for Omnimon to destroy him. The missiles are disabled, but the same virus that created Diaboromon tracks down Willis and corrupts Kokomon. Present Day While in New York City, T.K. and Kari witness a battle between Willis, Terriermon, and a corrupted Kokomon. Kokomon insists that Willis "go back", and so Willis returns to Colorado. Kari tips off Davis, Yolei and Cody, who head for Colorado and meet Willis and Terriermon hitch-hiking on the way. Willis reveals his history with Diaboromon and that the same virus has infected Kokomon. Willis vows that he must confront Kokomon himself, but is touched by Terriermon's vow of support and Davis' solidarity. In the final battle with Kokomon's Mega form, the DigiDestined are overwhelmed until Kari, T.K., Angemon and Angewomon arrive. Angewomon and Angemon are able to release Golden Digi-Eggs to Davis and Willis, and Veemon and Terriermon Golden Armor Digivolve to Magnamon and Rapidmon. Kokomon de-ages all the DigiDestined, and they realise that "go back" meant to go back in time to when the virus first attacked. The two Golden Digimon allow Kokomon to swallow them, and destroy the virus from within. Kokomon is healed, but fades away. After bidding the DigiDestined farewell, Willis and Terriermon find Kokomon's Digi-egg on a beach. Voice cast Development Background Toei Animation had animation fairs every spring and summer with featurettes showcasing their current animated titles. The first Digimon short film was , directed by Mamoru Hosoda in his directorial debut and released on March 6, 1999 for the Toei Animation Spring 1999 Animation Fair. The film grossed . The second short film, , was originally released on March 4, 2000 for the Toei Animation Spring 2000 Animation Fair and later served as the inspiration for director Mamoru Hosoda's 2008 film ''Summer Wars. The film grossed . The film's ending theme song is by AiM. was released on July 8, 2000 for the Toei Animation Summer 2000 Animation Fair. It was directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi. The film was screened in two parts, with Ojamajo Doremi #: The Movie screening in between. The film grossed . The film's ending theme song is by AiM. Writing After the first two Pokémon films, Fox wanted to replicate its success by having a theatrical feature for Digimon as well. The only films produced for Digimon at that time were Digimon Adventure (1999), Digimon Adventure: Children's War Game! (2000), and Digimon Adventure 02: Part I: Digimon Hurricane Touchdown!!/Part II: Supreme Evolution!! The Golden Digimentals (2000), which were all seasonal featurette films. As the three films were respectively 20, 40, and 60 minutes long, footage was condensed to fit 85 minutes. Digimon Adventure was used as basis for the "Eight Years Ago" sequence, Children's War Game! in the "Four Years Later" sequence, and Digimon Hurricane Touchdown!! / Supreme Evolution!! The Golden Digimentals in the "Present Day" sequence. The last film included in the compilation, Digimon Hurricane Touchdown!! / Supreme Evolution!! The Golden Digimentals was heavily cut, including a subplot featuring the older DigiDestined being captured and de-aged by Wendigomon, because Saban Entertainment lacked funding to produce a full two-hour movie. Alongside of that, "culturally awkward" Japanese elements are removed, and many North American jokes were written into the script. Prior to the release of Digimon: The Movie, the film led to a dispute between Saban Entertainment and the Screen Actors Guild. The Screen Actors Guild negotiated for actors contracted under them to be paid residuals over home video and subsequent television broadcasts, as they felt Digimon: The Movie was considered an original work due to the dialogue deviating from the original script. Writer Jeff Nimoy wanted to use the first two films in Digimon: The Movie and release the third film separately as a television movie, but the idea was overruled and Fox insisted on having the third film in order to promote Digimon Adventure 02. In order to connect the stories of the different movies together, Nimoy and Bob Buchholz rewrote Digimon Hurricane Touchdown!! / Supreme Evolution!! The Golden Digimentals to include Willis being involved in Diaboromon's creation. Nimoy had been disappointed with this decision, and it was one of the factors that led him and Buchholz into leaving the writing team near the end of Digimon Adventure 02 s run in North America. Originally, Nimoy had Tai narrate the movie, but as Tai did not make an appearance in the third part of the movie, he changed it to Kari. An early version of the official website listed Willis' name as his name in the Japanese version, Wallace, until it was changed to "Willis" in the final version. The film's theme song is the "Digi Rap", a remix of the theme song from the English version of Digimon Adventure. The track is performed by Josh Debear under the name "M.C. Pea Pod" and Paul Gordon. The Angela Anaconda short at the beginning of the film was later re-released as an episode in the television series titled "Good Seats" on January 15, 2001, with all dialogue mentioning Digimon removed. Marketing and distribution Taco Bell promoted Digimon: The Movie the summer before the film's release via a summer partnership with the franchise from July 13, 2000 to September 9, 2000. Participating restaurants offered toys and other collectibles with purchase of their kids' meals. When the film debuted in domestic theaters, a limited edition "Digi Battle" trading card was given out with every admission, with a total of 12 cards obtainable. In 2017, The Walt Disney Company acquired the rights to Digimon: The Movie from its acquisition of 21st Century Fox. Reception Box office Digimon: The Movie opened at #5 in the box office (being shown in 1,825 theaters) and earned $4,233,304 on the opening weekend. The film's run ended on December 3, 2000 at #56 drawing in a weekend gross of $19,665 grossing a total of $9,631,153 domestically. The movie also drew in $1,567,641 in the UK after its release on February 16, 2001 and $2,200,656 in Germany the same year. It earned a total of $16,643,191, making it a minor box office success compared to its budget of $5 million. The international success of Digimon: The Movie led Toshio Suzuki to contact Mamoru Hosoda to direct Howl's Moving Castle, though he later left the production due to creative differences. Critical reception The film received generally negative reviews by critics. According to the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 24% of critics have given the movie a positive review based on 41 reviews, with an average rating of 4/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Digimon is better than Pokemon, but it's still a predictable movie with mediocre animation." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 20 out of 100 based on 17 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Lawrence van Gelder of The New York Times describes the film as "noisy and ill-conceived", as it focused too much on "morphing monsters" and too little on "storytelling talent" and animation. Liam Lacey of The Globe and Mail gave the film two stars, noting that the "scenes alternate between kitschy cuteness and spectacular violence, with only a nod toward plot, character development, and motivation". Paul Trandahl from Common Sense Media gave the movie three stars, complimenting the film's visuals, but cited criticism in its lack of emotional attachment towards the characters and the plot alienating parents and newcomers. At the 2000 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards, the film won the award for "Worst Achievement in Animation". However; the magazine Animage conducted a list of the "Top 100" anime productions in January 2001, and Digimon: The Movie placed 88th on list. Soundtrack Music from the Motion Picture Digimon: The Movie is the original motion picture soundtrack for the film, Digimon: The Movie, released September 19, 2000 on Maverick Records on CD and compact cassette. The film score was composed by Shuki Levy, Udi Harpaz and Amotz Plessner, and was performed by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.Digimon: The Movie end credits See also * Digimon * Digimon Adventure * Digimon Adventure 02 * Digimon Adventure tri. * List of Digimon films Notes References External links * * * * Category:Digimon films Category:2000 anime films Category:20th Century Fox animated films Category:20th Century Fox films Category:American action adventure films Category:American films Category:American action films Category:American children's animated adventure films Category:American children's animated fantasy films Category:American remakes of Japanese films Category:Saban Entertainment films Category:Films set in the 1990s Category:Films set in the 2000s Category:Films set in New York City Category:Films set in Colorado Category:Films set in Japan Category:Fox Kids Category:Films directed by Mamoru Hosoda Category:Compilation films